Redskins bring back Rabach

Football Betting Lines

03/08/2010 - Ashburn, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Redskins have re-signed center Casey Rabach, the team announced Monday.

Rabach has spent the last five seasons with the Redskins and has been extremely durable, making 79 starts in that span.

The 32-year-old spent his first four NFL seasons with the Ravens, and in his career has played in 121 games (102 starts).

Casiogames Football Betting News

<< Panthers release FB Hoover
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Carolina Panthers have released veteran fullback Brad Hoover, the team announced Monday. Hoover has spent all 10 of his NFL seasons with the Panthers, and last season played in 11 games, serving as

<< Bills sign OL Green
Orchard Park, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Buffalo Bills have signed offensive lineman Cornell Green to a multi-year contract. Green, who will turn 34 years old this August, spent the last three seasons with the Oakland Raiders and made 3

<< Chiefs bring back WR Chambers
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Chiefs re-signed wide receiver Chris Chambers on Monday. Details of the contract were not announced. The 11-year veteran started the last nine games in 2009 and had 36 catch

<< Senators sign D Lee to two-year contract
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Brian Lee to a two-year contract. The 22-year-old Lee has split time this season between Ottawa and Binghamton of the American Hockey League. In 18 NHL games, Lee h

<< NASCAR needs to control on-going Edwards-Keselowski feud
Hampton, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Prior to the start of the 2010 season, NASCAR essentially told Sprint Cup Series drivers, "Boys, have at it and have a good time." Perhaps NASCAR should redefine its new rules on allowing more on-track freedom for

Seattle University's Garcia to declare for NBA Draft >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle University power forward Charles Garcia announced Monday he plans to declare for the 2010 NBA Draft at the end of the season. The 6-foot-10 junior averaged a team-best 18.7 points and 8.3 rebound

Boston signs 13 >>
Fort Myers, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox agreed to terms with 13 players on one-year contracts for the 2010 season on Monday. No further terms were disclosed. Agreeing to terms were pitchers Daniel Bard, Michael Bowden, Cla

Alouettes sign QB Pickett, linemen >>
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Alouettes have signed quarterback Cody Pickett to a two-year contract with an option, the team announced Monday. Additionally, the Alouettes signed defensive end Gavin Walls an

Bruins' Savard has Grade 2 concussion >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard has a Grade 2 concussion, general manager Peter Chiarelli announced Monday. There is no timetable for Savard's return. He will be monitored by the Bruins medical staff and tea

Nuggets' Martin to receive therapy for ailing knee >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin will have Platelet Rich Plasma therapy on his left knee, the team announced on Monday. Martin sat out Denver's past two games, wins against Portland on Sunday and Indian

Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.